Glasgow Warriors are one of the major forces in the Guinness PRO14 and consistently challenge for the title every season. They are currently the log leaders in Conference A.

The Scottish side have produced a number of international stars and British & Irish Lions players, including back-to-back Six Nations Player of the Championship Stuart Hogg.

The Warriors finished sixth last season with 11 wins and 11 defeats, but their greatest moment came just two years ago when they beat Munster 31-13 to win their first-ever league title.

History

Glasgow Warriors is a continuation of the Glasgow District side, which first formed in 1872. The team played the world’s first ever inter-district match against Edinburgh – and the two teams compete in the world famous 1872 Cup every season in recognition of that momentous occasion.

A huge fixture for any touring side, Glasgow have faced a number of major international teams – including New Zealand, South Africa and Australia – while they have also beaten Fiji in 1989.

Seven years after that, the club turned professional and became Glasgow Rugby. Four years later they joined the Welsh-Scottish League, and just a year later the Celtic League.

Under the new guise of the Glasgow Warriors, they quickly became one of the early heavyweights in the Guinness PRO14 and reached the play-offs in every season until that streak ended in 2017.

As mentioned above, they won their first silverware in 2015, beating Munster in the final in Belfast.

Captain

Lock Jonny Gray has become one of the best players in the northern hemisphere and was unfortunate to miss out on the British & Irish Lions tour to New Zealand this summer.

The 23-year-old replaced Al Kellock in 2015 aged just 21, but as an established Scotland international he took it in his stride.

Last year he was joined by co-captain Henry Pyrgos – an experienced scrum-half – and the pair thrive off one another both on and off the pitch.

Coach

With Gregor Townsend departing to take the reins of Scotland, Glasgow have appointed ex-Chiefs boss Dave Rennie to lead them into the 2017/18 season.

Townsend did a sterling job in his five-year stint, which included the title in 2014-15, but the national job was too good an opportunity to turn down.

Rennie spent five years in charge of the Chiefs, leading them to back-to-back Super Rugby titles in 2012 and 2013.

Assistant coaches Jason O’Halloran, Kenny Murray, Jonathan Humphreys and Mike Blair have been in charge of the team in pre-season as the club awaits Rennie’s arrival from the Chiefs.

Star man

Stuart Hogg is one of the best players in the northern hemisphere based on his form for the past two years, and he is desperate to make up for lost time this season after injury ruled him out of the Lions tour.

The back-to-back Six Nations Player of the Championship first broke through into the Warriors team in the 2010-11 season as an 18-year-old and made his Scotland debut two years later.

A veteran of over 100 Warriors appearances, the full-back was instrumental in Glasgow’s march to the 2014-15 title.

Player to watch

George Stokes is a new name to many, but after spending time with French giants Toulon, he could be a surprise candidate to break through this year.

Scotsman Stokes grew up in Spain and was spotted by Toulon as an 18-year-old, but fast-forward three years and the flanker is over in Scotland, looking to make his mark in the Guinness PRO14.

Speedy across the ground and strong in the tackle, Stokes is a physical player but also possesses plenty of ability in the loose.

Stadium

The Warriors have changed ground multiple times in the last 20 years, but in the Scotstoun Stadium they seem to have found a long-term home.

Originally based at Hughenden Stadium in 1996-97, they moved to Scotstoun a year later before merging with Caledonia Reds.

That took them back to Hughenden Stadium, before spells at Firhill Stadium, McDiarmid Park and Rubislaw Playing Fields.

In 2012, they moved back to Scotstoun and have remained there since, with a new artificial playing surface installed last season.